Pawprints in the Snow
by MeronS
Summary: Teruki has been feeling lonely lately, as if there's something missing from his life. Then he comes across Mob, a cat/human hybrid and his life is suddenly pushed off the rails in the cutest way possible.


Teruki Hanazawa lived alone at the tender age of only 14.

He had a small apartment near the school he went to. Nothing special, just a single bedroom apartment with only the utmost necessities. Teruki would need a part-time job if he wanted to upgrade his living conditions.

Although he was popular and successful in school, he couldn't help but think that there was something missing in his life. He had been feeling lonely lately and the cold and dark winter months did nothing to help. When it was getting colder by the day, all you wished for was to have someone to snuggle to for some warmth.

It was Christmas season too, and everywhere Teruki went, he saw couples and families enjoying each other's company. It was so ironical that it almost pissed him off. Not that he couldn't have a girlfriend or visit his parents every once in a while. He just didn't feel that it was the thing he longer after.

It was yet another cold winter morning as Teruki got ready to leave to school. He was mad that the cold and dry air were drying both his hair and skin. He had a tabletop full of lotions and hair products bought for this cause, but none seemed to help. It also didn't help that Teru's hair looked absolutely ridiculous when affected by static electricity and that the cold weather made it a must to wear a woolly hat. He made sure to pack some hair gel to his school bag, hoping that it would last him the day.

Teruki almost didn't get the door open. There had been a snow storm just last night and it had piled snow in front of the door. Good thing that there was no ice under all that snow.

Teru sighed loudly as he shoveled the snow out from in front of his apartment door. He would have to go shopping after school to make himself feel better again. His favorite brand had just come out with a new winter collection and all. He was in need of a new jacket too.

The day was boring. Nothing happened in school.

Some girl did confess her feelings for Teruki but he didn't feel the same way. The girl was an opportunist. She just wanted to be able to brag to her friends that she was dating the Mr. Popular of the school. Teruki made sure to tell her that and leave her standing dumbfounded in the hallway.

"Hey, how about we check out that new café?" a friend in Teruki's group suggested as they were all walking home together, "I heard that they have some cool items out."

Teruki paid little attention to what the group was talking about. He'd nod and smile every once in a while to let the guys know that he was with them when in fact he wasn't. His mind was completely elsewhere.

He was actually thinking of visiting a local shelter and a pet store. Maybe a cute and fluffy animal was the company he had needed all this time. But the limited space of his apartment made it hard to choose. A dog or a cat would be out of question if he couldn't find a breed that was fine with a studio apartment and Teruki's busy lifestyle. Maybe a hamster? They were small, cute and furry. Did they like to cuddle?

Suddenly, Teruki stopped. He had just heard something.

"Hey man, what is it?" one of the friends asked Teruki as they noticed that their main man had stopped.

"Nothing", Teruki lied, "I think I forgot something in the classroom. Do you think you could go ahead?"

"Really? And you just noticed?"

"I guess so. How stupid of me" Teruki laughed.

"Okay, if you say so. Call us if something comes up."

"Sure", Teruki smiled as he watched the group walk away, leaving him standing in the street alone. They didn't really need him to have fun. Sometimes Teruki even had to wonder if they really liked him at all.

Teruki waited until he could no longer see the group before he tried to listen closely, trying to pinpoint the source and the identity of the noise he had heard before.

And there it was again. It was coming from the alleyway right next to him.

Teruki ran there, not caring about the empty soda cans and trash bags littering the ground. He had to be careful though. Although there was a lot less snow in the alleyway, there was some black ice. Slipping on it and falling would be ungraceful of him.

Teruki might not seem like it, but he was weak to cute and tiny animals. He was quite sure that the noise came from one and wanted to see it. Maybe the cat would be the one for him and he could adopt it.

"Where are you hiding, little one?" Teruki sang as he glanced around. It was dark and hard to see.

Then there was some movement from behind a trash can. Teruki carefully made his way to it and moved it out of the way. There was a cardboard box and in that box a small black cat. Well, the box didn't say 'Adopt me!' but the poor thing was alone in the cold. Teruki took it as an invitation.

Teruki lifted the poor shivering creature up to his arms to take a good look. He almost dropped the cat though, when he realized that it's no normal cat at all. The feline had seemed a bit bigger in size but Teru hadn't expected quite this. He had just thought that it was one of those bigger and heavier breeds.

It was a cat, but not. It was a small boy with raven hair and matching cat ears and a tail. The thing looked just as terrified as Teruki, if not more, as he shivered in the boy's arms. His huge eyes were staring right at Teruki, looking for any signs for him to just bolt and run for it.

Teruki had to make sure that the ears and tail were actually real and not just some furry thing. There were a lot of those going around these day, so you never knew. Teruki grabbed one of the ears and felt it. Yes, they were very real, Teruki had to admit with a sigh and a hand now decorated with a bite mark.

Teruki recovered from the initial shock quicker than he had expected. Maybe it was the cute eyes or the tiny tilt of a head the boy gave him, "Aren't you a cute little thing!"

The boy meowed weakly as he curled closer to Teru's warm arms. Guess he had determined that Teruki was no threat to him after all. A warm feeling swelled in Teru's chest as the two cuddled in the dark alleyway.

"I know, little one", Teruki cooed, "Let's get you somewhere warm and some food to that little belly of yours."

Teruki had to put the boy into his jacket and run back to his apartment, while trying his best to dodge both the people on the street as well as the ice and snow. Good thing that the boy was so small that Teru could fit him in the hoodie. He could feel just how cold the boy was as he was pressed tight to Teru's chest, shivering.

Teruki was searching his brain for any information about hypothermia as he ran. The boy was sure to be close, if not already suffering from it and Teruki would need to be ready to act accordingly when they were back at his place. Conclusion, get the little guy warm, and fast.

"Here we are", Teruki huffed as he finally opened the door to his apartment. The metal key felt freezing in his hands and made it hard to fit the key to the lock. Teruki had to fumble with it for a minute or two before he finally succeeded.

He carefully lifted the boy from his jacket and placed him onto the floor. Teru could finally have a good look at him as they stood in the bright hallway. The first and most alarming thing, the boy had hardly any clothes on and he was still shaking. His pale skin had taken a red tint and his lips were a purplish blue color. The boy had on a black sweater and black pants but no jacket, mittens or a hat. It almost looked like a school uniform.

"Just wait a minute. I'll go get you something warm to wear", Teruki told the boy as he ran further into the apartment. Soon, there was the sound of closet doors opening and closing as well as some cursing. Teruki's room was turned upside down and back in his search for fitting clothes.

The cat boy froze in place, waiting for Teruki's return anxiously. He didn't want to be alone again.

Good thing that Teruki was quick and returned, much to the boy's relief. He was bound to have some separation issues after his ordeal, or maybe he had had some before this all.

"Here you go. Let's get this on you", Teruki mumbled as he changed the boy's shirt to one of his own. It was a really thick and warm, pink sweater. It was hopelessly large and looked more like a dress on the boy. It also threatened to fall off of the shoulders. Teruki thought that it all looked absolutely adorable and opted not to look for a smaller size.

Teruki watched the boy snuggle to the warmth of the shirt. A small purr could be heard. Teruki would've loved to pet the boy but he held back and just watched with an idiotic smile on his face.

"What is your name?" Teruki then asked when he thought that the boy had calmed down enough to answer some questions.

The boy turned his eyes towards Teru, but didn't say a word. He seemed rather upset if his tail and ears were anything to go by. Then the boy's face finally lit up and he pointed to a red leather collar around his neck. Teruki hadn't noticed that before.

"Let me see", Teruki mumbled as he carefully crouched down to see the gold tag on the collar and read the information it had to offer, "Mob?"

It was all the plate said. On the other side it offered a phone number and an address. Teruki could guess that it was the owner's. He'd call it later and share with them a couple of angry words about keeping pets.

"Mob? Is that your name? Mob?" Teruki asked the boy, who nodded eagerly conforming the information.

The boy seemed happy that he had finally managed to communicate with his savior and was now pointing to Teruki and then back to his collar.

Teru watched the boy before he understood the question, "My name? I still haven't given you it, have I? My name is Teruki but you can call me Teru."

Mob nodded, telling Teruki that he had managed to answer the right question.

"Well, Mob, the address is a bit far away. How does a warm bath, a meal and a nice nap sound like? We can think more after that", Teruki suggested as he picked the boy up with little protest from the boy himself.

Mob nodded, pushing his head to Teru's cheek, purring loudly. He then managed to somehow yawn and sneeze at the same time, causing them both to break out in a giggling fit.

"You like the sound of that, huh?" Teruki smiled as he walked to the bathroom to get the shower running. He had no bathtub, but maybe the plastic laundry basket would be big enough for the boy. Maybe he should've thought about a bath before he dressed Mob in clean clothes.

Teruki couldn't help but hope that the boy would go to the shower willingly as he helped the boy undress. He didn't know how much cat genes the boy had and if he'd hate the water because of them or not.

But Mob surprised him by hopping into the shower himself, sitting right into the basket. He then stared at Teruki, expecting him to get the water going.

"Not all cats", Teruki laughed as he got the shower head and sprayed some warm water onto the boy's head. He had to be careful not to make the water too hot for the boy and burn him.

Mob seemed to go straight to seventh heaven as the warm water hit him. His ears flicked back and forth though, annoyed by the droplets of water hitting them. Otherwise, he was absolutely loving it all. He didn't even seem to mind being only in his boxers in front of another male. Yes, Teruki had left the underwear on. He wanted the boy to feel safe.

Teruki gave Mob a shower hat before washing the raven hair. He didn't want the boy to get any of the shampoo into his eyes. He carefully washed the ears and tail too, watching Mob's face for any discomfort as he did. He briefly wondered if the lavender shampoo would do or should he have used pet shampoo instead. He didn't have any though, so the lavender would have to do for now.

Mob tried to help rub the shampoo in but ended up playing with the bubbles instead.

"You liked that, huh?" Teruki smiled as he wrapped Mob up in a fluffy towel. Not before Mob could shake some of the water off of himself and to Teruki, getting him wet too. Was Mob a dog, after all? Or did cats shake themselves off too?

Teruki did not get mad though, and only took out the hair dryer and dried Mob's hair. The boy sat absolutely still, behaving really well. Mob liked the warmth and almost ended up falling asleep on Teru's lap as he was dried off and groomed.

"You really liked that", Teruki laughed as he watched the boy yawn loudly, eyes only half open.

Mob meowed, shaking his head in order to get his hair the way he wanted it. Teruki had brushed it all wrong and he had to fix that.

"So, how about some late dinner?" Teruki asked Mob as the two made it to the kitchen. Mob was re-dressed in the pink sweater and now had a pair of Teru's shorts on as well. They were full length pants for him. Mob also had a pair of Teru's thickest socks that reached his knees.

Teruki wanted to give the boy some good food, and a lot of it. Mob looked like he could use it. He decided to begin by giving the boy a cup of warm milk. Not because Mob was part cat, just because he thought that the boy would like it. And Mob did, lapping the milk down in minutes.

Teruki thought long and hard about what he could prepare for his surprise guest. After a lot on thinking, he decided on tuna pasta. It was quick, easy and almost always tasty. Mob had also agreed with the idea as Teruki had asked for his opinion.

Mob sat on the counter, watching Teru's every move. He even made sure to watch the pasta water for the blond. Teruki had to move him back a bit a couple of times when Mob was getting too eager and too close to the boiling water.

Teruki would need to call the number on Mob's collar after they had eaten. Even though Teruki was furious that someone could leave Mob alone in such weather, he couldn't help but think that the owner must be worried sick after all. And although Teruki was sure to be sad to see the kitty go, it would be best for the both of them. Teruki had a busy lifestyle and a little kitty like Mob needed to lot of affection and attention. Something that Teruki is not sure he can give Mob.

The pasta was soon ready and Teruki freed from his thoughts in favor of enjoying the meal with Mob. Something he was grateful for.

The duo moved to sit by the table. Teruki placed his school books onto Mob's chair so that the boy could reach his steaming plate of pasta and eat. Finally, some use for those heavy books other than training every schoolgoer's back and shoulder muscles.

"You like it?" Teruki asked even though he knew he wouldn't get a vocal reply. It was always fun to ask and Mob did find his way of replying without words.

It was absolutely adorable. Mob sat there with such concentration visible on his face. He was clearly focused on not getting the shirt from Teruki dirty with pasta sauce. He did like the food and made sure to show Teruki that he did by licking the plate clean.

Mob and Teruki moved to the living room after they had finished the meal. Mob even helped Teruki wash the dishes.

They did Teruki's homework. Well, Teru tried to do them and Mob sat on his lap, watching the numbers and letters on the paper with only little interest.

The homework took longer than usual to finish for some reason and it was bedtime by the time Teru finished.

Mob actually almost fell asleep on Teru's lap before Teruki finally decided that he could do the rest of the homework later. The weekend was coming after all. He'd have the time.

He could also get Mob home. They could take the bus to the address on Mob's collar after Teruki had called the owner tomorrow. He had forgotten to do it before and thought that he wouldn't dare to call this late even if the topic was as serious as a lost pet.

"Are you sure you want to sleep with the sweater on?" Teruki asked Mob as the boy dug himself under Teruki's blankets. Teru had offered the boy pajamas but he had declined, preferring the pink shirt. Teruki would need to give the shirt to the boy as a gift. That was just how much Mob loved the piece of clothing.

Mob would sleep on the same bed as Mob. He didn't want to make his guest sleep on the sofa and Mob didn't want Teruki to sleep on it either. They were at a stalemate.

The central heating of the apartment complex had been acting up lately and on this cold night, it had decided that it'd be fun to stop working all together. It was getting colder and colder. The air outside was freezing and sure to drop even more during the night.

Teruki got all the blankets he had in his apartment and piled them to the bed, slipping under them afterwards. It would get cold and Teruki have a reason to snuggle extra close to Mob. Maybe the heater breaking wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Mob did not want to be cold again and snuggled close to Teruki as they fell asleep.

Teruki couldn't help but hope that the heating would be back by the morning. He wouldn't be able to get out of bed in fear of freezing in his own apartment.

Lucky for them, the heating was back on by the time the duo woke up.

It was warm again, Teruki noted as he woke up. Too warm actually. Teruki tried to sit up to investigate but was held down by an unknown weight on his chest. It was Mob. He had decided that Teruki's chest was a comfortable place to sleep on somewhere in the middle of the night and crawled there. Teru hadn't even stirred. Mob really could be sneaky. Well, he was a cat.

Teruki carefully tried to wake the boy up by scratching behind the cat ears. They flicked in annoyance as Mob stretched his body. he then yawned before looking Teruki straight to the eyes and blinking slowly.

Teruki blushed. He had read from somewhere that when a cat blinked slowly, it meant that they liked and trusted the person they were blinking at. Mob liked him!

After recovering from the little shock, Teruki was left to wonder about the breakfast.

"You think cereal would work? Quick and tasty", Teruki suggested as he lazily stroked Mob's hair. The boy was purring quietly, enjoying the lazy morning.

Mob nodded slowly, bringing his hands up to his ears to wash them. Teruki watched the boy lick his hands and then wash his ears and tail. It took fifteen minutes before Mob was happy with the results and curled back to the blankets.

"Back to sleep, huh?" Teruki yawned, "We need to get up and eat breakfast though."

After another half an hour of lying in the warmth of the bed, Teruki finally managed to roll out of bed with a mighty roar, bringing half of the blankets down with him. Mob came down too, having been snuggled deep to the bundle of the blankets. He landed gracefully on his feet while Teruki slammed onto his face. Cat reflexes.

The two then continue by crawling to the kitchen after a quick wash in the bathroom.

Feeling a bit fresher now, the two then tried to decide which box of cereal was the best.

They ended up with chocolate. Can't go wrong with that one. Teruki just hoped that Mob could eat chocolate. Teruki knew that dogs shouldn't eat chocolate. Was it the same with cats too? What about hybrids?

While Teruki ate his bowl of cereal, he decided to give Mob's owner a call. The dial beeped once, then twice and then someone picked up the phone. Rather quick. Maybe they had expected someone.

"Hello?" there was a low voice on the line. Guess some people really did take everything out of the fact that it was a weekend.

"This is Teruki Hanazawa. Are you familiar with the name Mob?" Teruki went straight to business, not waiting for the man to even try to wake up.

The man's interest seemed to suddenly triple when the name 'Mob' is mentioned. His sleepy state forgotten in seconds.

"Is Mob there?!" he asked Teru, sounding desperate, "Have you found my little baby boy?!"

But Teru did not give up so easily. Before giving out any more information, he demanded that the man told him why Mob had been alone in the freezing weather.

The man let out a long sigh, "Mob told me that he wanted to go out and play in the snow. It had just snowed and the snow banks were fresh and beautiful. I had been busy with work all week so I couldn't really go with him and I told him just that. I promised him that we could go later but Mob had clearly decided that he'd go right now. He then must've just thrown some clothes on and went out of the door. I never lock the cat door because I believe in Mob, but this time he decided to escape. He was sure to get lost but I would've never expected that he'd get that far from home."

"Did you look for him?" Teruki asked as he watched Mob move to his lap to listen to his owner's voice. Mob had a playful but slightly nervous smile on his face as he listened to Dimple go on and on how worried he was.

"Of course I did! I looked everywhere for him!"

"But you still didn't find him", Teruki huffed.

"I never expected that he'd go so far! He has never done that before!"

"But he did", Teruki told the man.

"We used the bus the other week. He must've jumped on that and ended up all the way to your place", the man explained with a sigh. He should've guessed that Mob had done something like that. He had thought that the boy was just hiding from him and was right near him in some warm place.

"It's no use wondering about that now", Teruki finally admitted, "We should be getting Mob back home, not arguing."

"Thank you", Teruki could hear the man's smile, "My name is Dimple and I run a small café at the edge of the town. Do you think you could take the bus here?"

"Of course", Teruki nodded, "We'll be there soon."

"I need to thank you in person", Dimple added before the two ended the call.

Mob and Teruki finished their breakfast and took the next bus.

Mob really seemed to like riding the bus. He kept staring out of the window all the way to their stop, pointing out the houses and trees going by to Teruki who was sitting next to him.

Teruki had dressed Mob in his old winter coat and boots, the smallest he could find. The coat was supposed to be a short one but was a full-length jacket for Mob. Mob also had the clothes Teruki had previously given him.

Mob and Teruki walked a block or two before coming to a small alleyway. Teruki had followed Mob since the boy knew the area and where to go, but he was getting quite doubtful when he was led to a dark alleyway for the second time in the course of one day.

Teruki was lead to a small shop, almost invisible in the dark of the alleyway.

Teruki tried to see through the big window, but soon had to give up. It was covered with plants growing on the window sill inside the shop, obscuring the whole view.

Guess he had to just go in and see. Teruki turned the brass doorknob. A couple flakes of blue paint came off of the already chipped door as Teruki moved it. A bell rang inside the shop as Teruki stepped in, alerting the owner of a new customer.

The inside of the store was amazing. Every surface was covered with what looked like jars and bags of herbs. There were also books, papers and parchments stacked on top of each other as well as on the floor and the counter.

The only space available is the space right next to the shop's only window. Two tables and six chairs sat in the small place, on what looked like an ancient, moth-eaten rug. Teruki could see dust on the dark brown surface of the furniture. Whoever lived here, needed to learn how to clean up properly.

Suddenly a man emerged from behind the messy counter, knocking a couple of the jars and books previously on the counter onto the floor. None of them broke though and their contents were safe.

The man, who Teruki guessed must've been Dimple, was wearing a formal black suit topped with a bright pink apron. His hair was black and combed to the side. And as the name told, he had dimples. He also had some serious eye bags and bright red cheeks so the dimples weren't really his most noticeable characteristic. The sight was unnatural to say the least.

"Mob!" Dimple screamed as he spotted the boy, crouching down to let the boy running to him jump onto his arms. The two shared a long hug.

Teruki stood still, letting the two greet each other.

Dimple finally let the boy go, introducing himself to Teruki properly.

"My name is Dimple, as you've already heard. I'm the herbalist and tea master of this small shop", Dimple explained as he shook Teru's hand, "Would you like some tea? I just made a pot. It's a new combination I'm testing."

As Teruki was guided to sit down on one of the chairs, Dimple flipped the sign on the door to 'closed'. They wouldn't need anyone disturbing them. Dimple then continued by pouring Teru a generous serving of the tea, fetching him sugar and milk in case the boy used any.

"This one works great with stress and helps your brain", Dimple explained as he poured himself a cup too. He thought that a middle-schooler like Teruki could use some smart tea. Maybe he'd even give him some to take home to drink later. He'd need to see if the boy liked the taste.

Teruki sipped the hot drink. He really had no other choice. The man had just shook his arm and put him to sit right away. Teruki hadn't had any time for protests. He usually wasn't one to drink tea, but he could manage this one. It was actually quite good, with two sugar cubes. The tea had a hint of fruit or berry in it, bringing a nice aftertaste to it.

Mob was lying on top of a decorative and antique-looking pillow on a brown leather armchair mostly hidden by more plants and books. The armchair itself looked very well-loved and used. The leather was worn out almost to the point it made a hole and there were stains and scrapes on the leather too.

Teru kept glancing at Mob, hoping that the boy would've decided to sleep on his lap instead of some old armchair. He bet he would've been softer too.

"I brought that one home from a flea market one day. Got it for half off too. It was a real steal" Dimple explained as he had noticed Teruki glaring at his furniture, "Mob fell in love with it right away. Won't let me sit on it or anything."

Before Teruki could reply, there was a loud knocking coming from the door.

Mob lifted his head, having been woken up by the sudden noise. His cat ears turned to the source of the noise.

Dimple tried to ignore it at first, as did Mob. He told Teru to ignore it too.

It was one of Dimple's regulars, Reigen Arataka. And if Dimple could guess, the man wanted some salt. He was a con-artist exorcist after all. Salt was his trademark.

In the end, Dimple had to let the man in. He would've broken the door otherwise.

Reigen sat down next to Teruki as Dimple offered him a cup of tea as well. Although Dimple didn't like the man, he had manners.

The man greeted Mob loudly. The boy only flicked his tail lazily as a reply, before turning his side and settling down for another cat nap.

Dimple gave the man his salt. Reigen left after getting it, slowly. Not before introducing himself to Teruki and explaining his line of work to him. He even gave him a card, telling Teruki to call him if he had any trouble with spirits.

"I'll make sure to do just that", Teruki laughed, looking rather uncomfortable as the man furiously shook his hands.

"Good! You can believe in me! And if you still have trouble, you'll get 20% off! It's a promise!" Reigen kept on explaining and trying to sell Teruki his services.

"Yeah, yeah", Dimple took Reigen by the collar and dragged him out of the door and slammed it shut to Reigen's face, "Please come again!"

"Think about it!" Reigen stuck his head through the cat door, pulling it back before Dimple slammed the trapdoor closed with his foot almost decapitating one of his regulars.

"You really love your customers", Teruki couldn't help but laugh as he watched Reigen wave for him once more.

"Of course!" Dimple smirked.

Mob flicked his tail once again, agreeing with his owner.

"He is a bit too much", Dimple explained as he sat back down, "But he is a regular, so be nice to him."

"You have many customers?" Teruki had to ask. If he had had a hard time finding this place even with Mob's help, he couldn't see how others could find it either.

"We have our regulars. Some students have been coming in lately. It's really a nice change. I usually only serve old people with aches and other problems", Dimple explained.

"How about Mob? Don't the people think of him as odd?"

"This whole place is odd in the first place", Dimple laughed, "They like him a lot."

"They're sure to talk about him in the social media."

"And call him a freak? No. Not happening", Dimple smirked, pointing to a sign on the door.

'What happens in the shop, stays in the shop', it read.

"Did I mention that I do spells too?" Dimple asked as he fixed a couple talismans on the door's handle, "They will all see Mob as just a regular cat or a boy, depending on what their minds decide."

"And I'm allowed to see him as he is because I've already seen him as he is?"

"Exactly!" Dimple clapped his hands, "You're a smart one aren't you?"

"That's why you were so worried about him?"

"Partly yes. People would capture him and put him in a freak show or something! The collar does have a couple small spells on it but they last only a little while."

Teruki had to agree. The scientists would've also loved to cut Mob up and find out what's inside of him. He couldn't help but be relieved that he had been the one to find Mob and not someone else.

"And now that you've seen Mob", Dimple had moved back behind his counter in search for something, "Do you know what that means?"

"You're going to kill me?" Teruki asked, petting Mob who had moved to lie on his lap at some point, demanding to be cuddled.

"Good idea", Dimple thought for a while, a dark expression on his face, "But no, you have two choices. I have some spells to make you forget-"

"I don't want to", Teruki told Dimple, dead serious, "I don't want to forget Mob."

"I knew you'd say that", Dimple smirked, "You two have grown too close already. It's troublesome. Honestly. So I suggest to you. Come work for me."

"Huh?" Teruki asked.

"Work for me. That way you can stay with Mob and I get a pair of extra hands. I've needed some as you can see", Dimple emphasized his point by sliding his finger over the counter. It came off with a layer of dust and other dirt.

Teruki thought for a while before he nodded. He had been looking for a job after all, so this was just perfect.

"Good! Sunday is a day off, but we begin at eight on Mondays and other days!" Dimple sang as he threw Teruki an apron of his own. It was pink with a print of a green blob with red cheeks on it. Good thing that pink suited Teruki. He wasn't too sure about the design though. He could just maybe pull it off.

"Good morning!" Teruki greeted yet another customer. He had a duster in his left hand and a rag in the other while he balanced on top of a stool. He and Mob were dusting off the place, giving it the long due spring cleaning. In winter.

They had first moved some of the stuff and released a cloud of dust, making it almost impossible to see around. They had soon decided to at least try and get rid of most of the dust before moving anything else. After getting ready with the trash and re-arranging the books and other items after the dusting, they could finally mop the floor.

Mob was trying his best to keep the stool from tipping over, nodding his head to the customer as a form of a greeting. He was using his tail as a duster and had a rag as well. He helped Teruki by wiping what he could reach.

"Welcome, welcome!" Dimple laughed from behind his counter. You could actually see the man now. Teruki had cleaned that up the first day, much to Dimple's displeasure. The man quite liked it the way it had been but had to admit that it was nice to actually see the customers' faces for once. It was sure to return to normal within a week if Teruki didn't keep his eye on it.

Many more students had begun to come to the shop, having heard that Teruki now worked there. They all wanted to see what kind of a place it was and stayed for the good tea and coffee.

Teruki had made Dimple learn how to make coffee in order to stay popular with the coffee-loving masses. Dimple now had a wide variety of coffees and the people loved them. He didn't add any sugar or other sweeteners to any of his drinks and now people hailed his shop as a healthy option to the other cafes and their syrup sweet coffees and other drinks.

Dimple even had an article written about the shop on one very popular magazine. People now came even from far away to see if the place was worth all the praise it had gotten. They'd need to expand if things went on like this, although one of their selling points had always been the small size and the cosy feeling it brought with it.

"C-Can I get two cups of today's special to go? And maybe also a little good luck charm. There's a test coming up" a girl asked. Teruki recognized her as one of his upperclassmen. She had quickly become a regular, preferring to read her homework in the quiet café with a good cup of tea. She often came in the mornings too, fetching a cup for herself and a friend to start the day with.

"Sure, coming right up!" Dimple sang, opening a random drawer full of different kinds of papers and trinkets, "Just sit down to wait. I'll be right there with the drinks."

Dimple took out something that looked dangerously close to an actual bone and a couple of colorful feathers with a piece of paper. They'd make a good lucky charm. Now it was time for the tea. Dimple disappeared to the back room to prepare that one.

"Good morning, Hanazawa, Mob", the girl bowed her head towards the two.

"Morning", Teruki smiled as he jumped down from the stool he had been standing on. He had gotten the dust, finally. He had only been hunting it for two hours this morning only.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school today?" the girl asked with a smile, pointing to the old grandfather clock sitting by the door.

Teruki eyed the clock. Shit. He was late. He had been too focused on cleaning with Mob that he had forgotten the time.

Mob seemed to notice the problem too and took the duster from Teru's hand, ushering him to the back to change his clothes and fetch his bag.

"I know Mob! I'm going!" Teruki laughed as he was dragged to the back by the worried Mob.

"Make sure he makes it in time!" the girl told Mob with a laugh as she had gotten her drinks and the charm and was about to leave.

Mob nodded to the girl, promising that he would do exactly that.

"You're so mean!" Teruki cried out.

"Will you be fine without me?" Teruki asked Mob as he was in the doorway, just about to leave.

Mob nodded furiously. He just didn't want Teruki to be late from school because of him. He could clean on his own too. He didn't need Teruki's help with everything. He actually thought about vacuuming today when there still weren't that much customers in.

"Alright, whatever you say", Teruki smiled as he gave Mob a kiss to the head before running away, leaving Mob blushing by the door. Good thing that the day would be a short one and he'd be back with Mob soon.

"Teruki Hanazawa! That is no way to say goodbye!" Dimple raged from the counter, throwing the bag of tea he had been holding towards the floor.


End file.
